For Mischief Manifold
by Castille
Summary: Naru returns to Japan to pursue paranormal research there, and in doing so is reunited with Mai after almost a year. He finds himself competing against a memory while he struggles with a new and personal case. SPOILER WARNING. R&R if you like.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Ghost Hunt or any of the characters. Unfortunately.

**Warning**: There are some spoilers, for those who have not seen the entire series or read them. My story takes place as a sort of continuation of Ghost Hunt after the series ends.

--

**For Mischief Manifold**

"_Are you there? Hello? I can't… Oh, there you are. Come closer, boy. Let me get a good look at you. You seem so familiar. Almost… no, it can't be you. You're too thin. What? Did you get taller? Is that why? I see. I guess I could try… But you're not there anymore, are you? You're pretty far from there now. I will come back later… No, later. What? Wait? No, I cannot. You will have to wait for me. I'm sorry, boy." He grasped for the fading energy, too weak to form an exact shape. The soft, tangible light floated out of his reach and beyond, scaling the tips of the nearby tree and whirling slowly into the night to become part of the stars. He stretched his fingertips as far as he could, but they didn't come close to their goal. Who had that been? An air of familiarity resonated from the soul, but he had not known who it once embodied. He wanted to know, desperately. Why was it so familiar?_

"Naru. Naru, wake up. Don't make me ask all morning, I have better things to do." Lin's voice smashed into his consciousness and he sat up, a bit too quickly. Ignoring the small amount of nausea that swept over him, Naru angled his sharp eyes to the man hovering over him. Lin stood there, holding a plate of breakfast.

"You can call me by my name now, you know. In England it's okay to call me Oliver." Naru eyed the food, but his appetite had been swept away by that dream. That dream… Just who had that been, anyway? His eyes narrowed as he searched through his mental rolodex, trying to find a match for that voice that had sounded so strangely warm. He remembered the dream with surprising clarity. It was odd because usually his dreams didn't preserve that way. He would wake up, the feelings still fresh but the picture fading. He wasn't Mai, after all.

His eyes widened, his breath hanging in the air unspent, suspended for the moment. Was that it? Mai? The tone was just like hers. The same warmth was apparent in the spirit's voice, the same kindness of nature that was impossible to break with a cruel word or a gruesome situation. He had seen it flourish under the worst of circumstances and yet prevail. His heart paused, then churned and felt like ripping itself out of his chest. He gasped and jerked forward with the heavy weight of emotion he hadn't known himself capable of. No, it couldn't be. Was Mai… dead? Was she trying to reach him from the spirit world, delusional and afraid? Did she… Did she think he was Gene?

"Naru? Are you okay?" Lin's concerned voice broke through his thoughts, causing him to smooth out his emotional waves and sit up straight once again.

"I'm fine," he said. "Thank you for the food, but I'm not hungry." Lin tried to object, but Naru hushed him with a glance. Sighing, not even trying to hide his impatience with the other, Lin turned to leave the room. He stopped before he reached the door.

"You've become so much grumpier since we left Japan," Lin muttered, then walked out into the hallway. Naru looked at the space where his friend and employee had been only a moment ago, his expression stoic. Since Japan. Since Mai.

It couldn't have been Mai. The spirit's voice was clearly that of a man. Even the spirit world couldn't distort Mai that much. The soul-crushing pressure slowly ebbed from his body, overwhelming relief constrained to its smallest point. What felt like a soaked blanket, clinging and heavy, lifted from Naru's heart and he got out of bed and dressed, every movement a calculation. He entered the study, where Lin sat, typing away on the computer. "Lin, I want you to check on Mai," he said as casually as he could. "Make sure she's okay." Lin looked up from the computer, curious but wise enough in the ways of Naru to hold his tongue.

"All right," he replied, pushing himself away from the computer and standing. "I can call her and make sure she's doing fine." Lin was uncomfortable doing this kind of thing, but Naru had said… Well, it was best to get it over with. He liked Mai. She was a passionate little thing, and reminded him a lot of Gene, whom he still missed. Not that he ever told Naru, of course. Gene was an especially sore subject since Mai's love for Naru had turned out to be Mai's love for Gene. It was a rejection that had not surprised Naru, but Lin still felt like it had stung him in some deep, hidden way.

Naru dipped his chin in a nod and then left their small apartment, no doubt on his way to the office they rented in South Kensington.

Lin rubbed the back of his head with his long fingers, frowning at the phone. He liked Mai, but not enough to call her up for no reason. Still, Naru had asked. He reached out tentatively and picked up the phone, looking at it for a moment before dialing Bou-san's house.

After SPR had relocated to England, Mai had lost her part-time job, and thusly her ability to support herself. Since she was an orphan with no family of her own, Mai had tried to find another job but it was tough going, despite the glowing recommendation that Naru had casually left with her for other potential employers. Moved by what Lin suspected as a big-brotherly instinct, Bou-san had taken Mai in and was spoiling her as rotten as he could, which was not difficult for him to do given the money he made as a bass player. Mai had offered to contribute to bills and the like once she found another job, but Bou-san wouldn't hear of it, saying instead that she should take the opportunity to focus on school. He let her assist the band sometimes when they went on tour, and welcomed her help when he was asked to use his skills as a Monk, but otherwise Bou-san happily supported the girl, and, if Lin was correct, the role of 'adoptive brother' to Mai had made Bou-san's life far more pleasant and rewarding.

The phone rang three times before the Monk answered, his mouth stuffed with some manner of food. "Herrooo?" Lin grimaced slightly.

"Bou-san?" he said, his voice quick and forceful.

"Oh! Lin! What a surprise to hear from you. What can I help you with? I'm afraid England is a bit far for me to go in order to help with a case, but if you need advice…"

"Bou-san," Lin interrupted. He took a deep breath and sighed into the phone. "I just called to check on Mai."

"Oh." Bou-san finished chewing on whatever it was that he was eating and swallowed audibly. "Well in that case, she's home from school. Want to talk to her? Of course you do," Bou-san covered the receiver with his hand and shouted something, then the phone was transferred to the girl.

"Lin!" Mai's ecstatic voice squeaked through the phone line. "It's so good to hear from you, I didn't think I would for a while yet, but I'm glad that you called." The smile she had was evident in her tone, and Lin couldn't help the smallest of smirks himself.

"Naru just asked me to check up on you and make sure you were okay," Lin said, making an immediate (and truthful!) excuse for his call. Mai's joy-level dropped a little bit.

"Oh. … Naru asked you to?" The confusion on her end was practically palpable.

"Yes. It seems that you're doing fine. …You **are** doing fine, right?"

"Um. Yeah, I'm good," Mai responded, her voice smaller with each sentence. Lin coughed.

"Great. I will let Naru know."

Silence.

"Um, all right. Well, it was good talking to you."

"Yes. Have a nice day." Lin hung up quickly, then returned to his work.

-

Mai hung up the phone, frowning. "Well that was odd." Bou-san picked up his chopsticks again and resumed digging through his rice bowl.

"What was?" he asked, stuffing a good amount of rice into his mouth.

"Lin was checking to make sure I was okay… Because Naru asked him to." Mai's frown deepened. Bou-san didn't miss a beat in the rhythm of his chewing.

"That seems weird, I guess. I thought they were calling me for my expertise!" Mai glanced at her friend, noting the rice grains all over the table and the ones sticking to his shirt.

"Expertise in what, messy eating habits?" she grumbled, grabbing a napkin. "Seriously, Bou-san, you need to clean up after yourself when you eat! I have wiped this table three times a day this past week!"

"Hey, I'm still eating that!" Bou-san exclaimed.

"These? Bou-san, these are all over the table, what do you mean you're still eating them? That's gross, knowing you, this table hasn't been cleaned at all today. You're eating dirt!"

"No, I'm not, I'm eating rice!"

"Dirty rice!"

"Dirty rice, clean rice, it all comes out the same way anyway."

"Bou-san, that's disgusting!"

The bickering ensued for a bit longer until Bou-san started eating rice grains off the table despite her warnings, and Mai decided to take refuge in her room.

It had been a sparse room when Mai had moved in with her small suitcase. Just a bed, a desk, and a dresser for her things. Then Bou-san discovered the joy of spoiling her. He took her out and forced her to purchase an entirely new wardrobe. "This is your non-orphan wardrobe!" he'd said proudly. "It shows that I care about taking care of you!" Mai couldn't deny him that, of course, and she had tentatively picked out a small, modest collection of clothing. He justified buying her a new computer with "You need it for school!" and various jewelry items with "You deserve nice things!" His desire for treating her was infectious, and soon even Ayako would bring her back things from her various trips. "Mai, you look so drab in that. Here, let me get you something prettier," Ayako would insist, dragging Mai to many a mall.

Needless to say, what had started out as a sparse room turned into a cluttered one, which Mai somehow still managed to keep clean. She lay down on her bed, looking out the window into the cherry blossom tree that stood outside. So Naru had asked Lin to call her? She wondered why. Naru hadn't spoken to her since he'd left to England. Not even an email. Sure, she knew that the way she'd spoken to him last was probably what had made him so distant, but she hadn't intended to drive him so far away that he wouldn't give her a call once in a while. They had worked together on a lot of cases, after all, and she was sure she'd meant more to him than an employee, at least. Even on a friend level. But apparently not.

Until today.

Mai rolled over on to her back, staring at the pale ceiling. Why hadn't Naru just called her himself? Was Lin trying to be nice? It certainly wasn't like him, so she didn't think so. Lin was even less social than Naru. Maybe she shouldn't be obsessing over it, but something had to have acted as a trigger for the phone call. What could it be? Naru didn't just orchestrate things like that for no reason. He always had a reason for everything. That was definitely something she had learned while working for him.

Well, there was no use thinking about it now. If Naru had a reason that was important, then he would share it with her eventually, in some way, shape, or form. In the mean time, she had homework to do.

--

OOC: So what do you guys think?  This is my first fan fiction; I just enjoyed this series so much, and it felt so anti-climactic at the end that I wanted to somehow continue it. Please let me know if you like it so far, so I can keep working on it. If you have any criticisms, those are also very welcome! Thank you. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **Ghost Hunt is no mine.

All right, I wanted to address some of the reviewers' questions before jumping into the second chapter. Firstly, it is going to be an actual case but there will be some "figuring out where they are in each other's lives" to it. My main idea is to continue the series where it left off, because the ending felt so anti-climactic and unfinished to me. But you're just going to have to wait to find out about his dream! ;) Also, thank you for the reviews! I'm glad you guys like my story so far, and I figure I will try to have a new chapter up every week. :D Anyway, on with the story.

**Note:** For the sake of my story, I have changed one thing. Apparently, Naru and Lin are only supposed to be gone for 2 months before returning to Japan. I have extended that length of time for the purposes of this story.

-

**South Kensington. London, England**

**1:35pm**

Naru sat calmly in the least comfortable chair in his office, listening without giving the appearance of listening to the teenage girl who stood in front of him. She prattled about her family's old estate, located in Richmond, claiming that it was "just _so_ haunted" and that she couldn't "like, pull a brush through my hair without attracting spirits or whatever." He was losing patience at an accelerated rate, gripping his mug a little more tightly than usual. "And it so broke my mom's vase the other day," the girl concluded, flipping back the strands of her ponytail that had managed to creep over her shoulder.

Naru sat there for a minute, breathing in the silence like oxygen. He closed his eyes and tried to logically analyze the case. It could be poltergeisting. In fact, that seemed the likeliest cause. He had been slightly disappointed to find that a lot of the cases he and Lin had investigated in England led to that conclusion. It certainly took the interest out of the case. He took a sip of his tea and then stood. "Lin, get the proper information," he ordered, then walked into his office and closed the door.

"Huh? Um, hey!" the girl called after him, but Naru ignored her. Lin would step in after a moment and take care of the situation. His plan had been to go to his desk and immediately begin research on the girl and her estate that she'd named for him, but he just didn't… _feel_ it today. The last thing he wanted to do was sit at his desk. His office, which he often ascribed as his sanctuary from the outside world, had miraculously and without warning turned on him and become more of a prison. If he stayed here, then he would have to work. Usually this was a no-brainer for Naru, but today was different. He could feel it quiver on the edge of his consciousness, the adrenaline of breaking routine and making a choice that was so different from the usual.

Bravely, Naru emerged from his office and closed the door, pulling his black jacket on. England had done nothing for his sense of style. Perhaps he was mourning something completely different now.

-

**Somewhere in Japan**

**9:35pm**

Mai rolled over in her bed, awakened by the impact of cold metal to her face. Her eyes popped open as she jerked away quickly, into an upright position. Three of her pens were scattered on her bed and one of them had ruthlessly stabbed her cheek when, sleepily, she had tried to infringe upon its territory. Mai glared down at the hostile pen, and, with perhaps a bit of an angry pout, she lifted it and flicked it across the room.

She got out of bed, since it was only 9:35pm, and met with her reflection in the mirror. Her premature slumber had left her with imprints of her ringed notebook all across her left cheek, and her hair, now slightly longer, was mussed up something considerable. The faint light of her bedside alarm clock blinked at her in the mirror, its glow seeming to hum a reminder to her. Ignoring her own rumpled image, Mai stared at it in the glass, trying to recall her plans for the night.

Then it hit her.

Oh no. Yasuhara. They had made plans tonight. He was coming over at 8pm to help her study for the test she had the next day. It was quite a bit past 8pm. Flustered, Mai smoothed her hair back with one hand and hurried out of her room, sprinting down the hallway and into the kitchen, where she stopped abruptly in front of the dining table. Yasuhara and Bou-san were there, engaged in a board game. They looked up as she arrived.

"Yasuhara! I'm sorry, I was asleep, and..."

The boy smiled. "Yes, I know Mai. Bou-san told me that you needed your sleep, but I could wait to see if you would wake up before it got too late. I was actually going to leave after I won this game."

Bou-san narrowed his eyes. "Why are you so confident in your prowess, huh Yasuhara? It seems very presumptuous of you."

"But Bou-san, I just won the last four games in a row. Perhaps I simply doubt yours?"

Bou-san pushed the board towards Yasuhara, glowering at the smiling boy. "Well whatever. I'm done for tonight. Mai is awake now, and no doubt you will be needing to help her study, as I do not think she has even glanced at her books yet."

"I have, too! I spent all afternoon doing my homework," Mai retorted, but the self-pride was evident in her smirk. Bou-san studied her for a minute, gauging the girl he had come to think of as a little sister.

"You weren't laying in bed all afternoon thinking about Naru?" he asked, sliding his hands into his pockets and fixing her with the blank 'I know you better than you think I do' look that had become so discerning. Mai flushed immediately.

"I was doing no such thing! I was studying." _Naru…_

"Hrmm?" Yasuhara perked up a little, glancing at Mai for an explanation. "Is Naru back then?" Mai folded her arms across her chest and looked away.

"No. Lin called me this afternoon to check up on me, but he said it was on behalf of Naru. Though now I wonder if Lin was even telling the truth. I don't know why Naru would want to check up on me, suddenly after so many months." Despite her best efforts, the resentment slipped into her voice. Her cheeks were hot, not with embarrassment, but with anger. Bou-san and Yasuhara remained quiet, waiting for her to pull herself together and drop the subject. It took a couple minutes before Mai relaxed her stance and broached the topic of studying.

A couple hours later, Mai fell asleep with her face buried in the text book, and Yasuhara gently removed her school supplies, stacking them neatly on her desk, before lifting her light frame and carrying her to her bed. He covered her with the downy blue and yellow blanket that brightened her room and watched her for a moment. She looked so very like the girl he had met at his school, her face angelic in the peace her slumberous expression exuded. But she wasn't. After Naru left, Mai had almost drawn within herself. She didn't smile as much, and she was always thinking, lost in the world of her mind.

Yasuhara sighed and turned the light off, then closed her door and walked into the living room, where Bou-san lounged on the couch. The Monk also appeared to be lost in thought, staring at the ceiling.

"It's funny how alike you two are, and yet there is no blood between you," Yasuhara commented, pushing the rim of his glasses up before they could droop down the ridge of his nose. Bou-san glanced up at the boy.

"Yeah. I'm worried about her. I thought she was… forgetting him. Obviously this complicates things for her. It's deplorable that Naru has ignored her for all this time. She used to stay up all night worrying about him, because he never called or emailed her. You remember."

Yasuhara nodded solemnly. "Yes, the circumstances under which he left were not kind for Mai." Of course they knew nothing of Mai's interactions with Gene… how could they? She wasn't exactly forthcoming with the information.

Bou-san's expression hardened. "And now, out of the blue, here he is again. Not even physically here. The mention of him drives her to distraction." He sat up, rubbing the back of his neck and frowning. "I just wonder… How long will he haunt her?"

-

**London Underground, on the way to Kew Gardens**

**3:20pm**

Naru sat, trembling, as the London Underground zoomed out of its serpentine tunnel and broached daylight. The city became sparser the further they rambled towards Kew Gardens, where Naru was hoping to find a few things. Normally in such a situation his head would have been bent slightly over a book of English occult, but not today. He carried no book, no papers. There was no work tied in with what he was doing. It felt nice; he had spent so long searching for the place where Gene's body was unceremoniously tossed that not lugging around the normal stack of research equipment felt somehow off to him. When he had returned to England, his adoptive mother had pushed him into pursuing an education at the university, like he had been planning to do before Gene disappeared and died. Maybe one day he would, but there was something very ephemeral to this period of time in his life, and he didn't think he was quite ready to hit the books again.

He rested his hands on his knees and, abnormally, looked out the window. That was why he had insisted on continuing his branch of SPR in England. What could he call it in the terms of reality? Avoiding adulthood? Refusing to take the next step, to move on to the next chapter in his life? Most likely. There was just something about his time in Japan that he couldn't shake. Naru missed his brother terribly; he had missed him the entire time he was in Japan, searching for Gene's body so he could bury it properly and free his brother's spirit. That had been his reason for going there in the first place. All his work, almost a year's worth, and when he had finally succeeded he'd returned to England as he had intended to do all along. He still felt the slight pang in his chest for his brother's absence, and he still mourned body and soul for the demise of his older twin.

But there was something else, wasn't there?

He tried to cut the train of thought off abruptly as it started winding towards the people he'd left behind in Japan. Even though he knew they were fine on their own, he still… Mai hadn't been fine on her own, had she? Bou-san had taken her in, so she wouldn't be homeless or forced to retire to an orphanage in order to have a roof over her head at night. His eyes closed tightly. He had pushed her into that position, hadn't he? He hadn't even given her the time to find another job before he left Japan. He found Gene, then closed SPR and left for England. He remembered her face when he'd told her to find another job, shocked and open.

_'But I have… circumstances. I'd like to know why I'm being discharged.' _Of course, she didn't have any money. She was just too… proud, maybe? …to say it out loud. And had he told her why? Not right away. The view from the window became blurred and pale, as if it were punishing him for his actions. His hands gripped the fabric of his pants as they clenched.

_Mai… I'm sorry._

Naru opened his eyes again and tried to make out some of the shapes out the window as the London Underground zoomed by. He and Gene used to do this, when they were children. Gene had always been better at it than he. The thought picked his mood up a little, and, uncontrollably, a small smile tweaked his lips.

-

**Richmond, England**

**7:00pm**

"Oliver, sweetheart, what brings you over here to visit? I thought you were pretty busy in London with the office." His adoptive mother poured him a glass of black tea with a heady aroma and sat back, tucking her skirt beneath her legs. She smiled warmly. "Not that I'm unhappy at your visit, of course. It's always the brightest point in my day when I see you, honey."

Naru took a sip of the tea, soothed by the hot liquid. It slid pleasantly down his throat, the same feeling he got while reading a favorite book or perfecting a trick. "I wanted to talk to you and Father about something," he replied. His mother frowned.

"Your dad is as the office right now, but he should be back in a couple hours. You could always take a walk around the town until he comes back." She stood up again to procure more tea for herself. "You said you walked here from Kew Gardens, Oliver?"

Naru nodded. He had taken the path that he and Gene used to use, the river-side road that lead from Richmond to Kew Gardens. It was about an hour's walk, filled with beautiful foliage and small pockets of ponds and forest. Despite his best efforts to push the thoughts from his mind (and conscience), he had ended up focusing on his time in Japan. He had felt a connection to the place. There were so many cases there, and to be honest his curiosity was still peaked.

And Mai was there. He could offer her old job back to her. Then she wouldn't have to depend on Bou-san anymore. He shifted in his seat very slightly. He could make sure she had enough income to support herself again. She didn't have to come back as his assistant. Mai could be an investigator for him. After all, when she'd left she had been showing promise in that field. The idea danced in his head, spurred by play-by-plays of how Naru expected this to go. As a result, he arrived at his family's home in Richmond, bright-eyed and ruffled. It had not taken him very long to compose himself.

"Kew Gardens was so close by," he said off-handedly. His mother nodded, looking at him more closely.

"Oliver… why are you here?" she asked. Naru lifted his cup and studied his distorted reflection in the dark liquid for a moment.

"I was thinking of returning to Japan," he replied, bringing the cup to his lips and taking a long sip.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Ghost Hunt.

Third chapter! I'm doing pretty well on time, I think. :D If you like my story, please review! It's always exciting for the author to get reviews, as we all know. I know that my story is moving a little slowly, but I feel like Mai and Naru reuniting is a climactic event, not something I can just toss into the first couple chapters. Don't worry, they meet again soon!

**Note**: There was another thing I changed for my story that I wanted to make note of. In the novels Madoka stays in Japan and Mai does not lose her job. Obviously, in my story, this isn't the case.

-

**Richmond, England**

**7:01pm**

Luella Davis stared at her son, now her only son, and stiffened. Go back to Japan? "Oliver… Are you sure that's such a good idea?" She didn't have to say it, but it was obvious that she was thinking of Gene and what had happened to him when he'd light-heartedly suggested a trip to Japan. Not that what Naru had said was light-hearted, or really a suggestion for that matter.

"Why not?" Naru replied, setting his cup and saucer down. "Because of what happened when Gene went?" His eyes were steely, an expression that Luella was used to seeing… just not directed at her. His smiles hadn't reached his eyes since Gene's death. She should be telling him that she didn't want to lose both her sons.

"I'm not sure if it would be safe," she said instead. Calmly, she sipped some of her tea, looking pensively at her reflection in the cup.

"Mother, I'm not Gene. Just because something happened to him does not mean it will happen to me. I will be careful, I promise." There was that word, that 'will.' He had already made up his mind. He was going to go, no matter her reservations.

"Oliver, I really think you should take a little time and think this through more thoroughly. What would you do there? Why do you even want to go?"

Naru didn't miss a beat in his response.

"I have been thinking about it, Mother, and I already know what I'm going to do there. I will re-open SPR and handle more cases. There are still so many cases to solve there. I don't believe I had gotten my fill of them when I returned." He lifted his teacup to his lips again and took a miniscule sip, his eyes closing to better taste the liquid treat.

Luella fixed her eyes on him, on the face she used to cradle when he was hurt, on the hands that she had watched perform a million magic tricks for her amusement. He looked, still, so little and vulnerable to her. She wanted to do everything in her power to make her little boy happy, of course, but she didn't think he had to go half-way across the world to be that way. There had to be another option. Silence flooded the room for a couple minutes as she thought about it, coming up with different strategies to deter him from his path to Japan.

When she finally thought of a suggestion, she raised her eyes to his to catch his attention. It wouldn't have mattered, he'd been studying her face the entire time she had pondered, waiting for a reply, a reaction, something. But his eyes were a bit off, somehow. She narrowed hers in scrutiny, examining his deep blue gaze with a slightly suspicious air. There was brightness in them, somehow. A touch, and only a touch, of life had returned to her son's eyes.

She sat up straight, suddenly beaming. "Why Naru! This is about a girl, isn't it?" She gleefully took another drink of her tea and watched him merrily as he reacted. Naru, taken quite off-guard by his mother's apparent skill at reading him (at least that is how she saw it), opened his eyes wide in surprise and shifted uncomfortably.

"Wha…" He paused, lowering his eyes and clearing his throat. "That's ridiculous. I don't…. I don't have _that_ on my mind at all." He scowled and looked away, feigning interest in the unlit fireplace.

Luella glowed. "Don't be ridiculous, honey. It's all right to like girls. You're certainly getting old enough for a girlfriend."

"Mom, _please._" The tension seeping from the boy filled the air around him.

Luella exploded with joy. Inwardly, of course. "There are other girls, you know. Not just in Japan. You should try to find a nice English girlfriend." She glanced at her son slyly as she spoke.

Again, silence prevailed for a minute or two.

Then, quite unexpectedly, Naru chuckled. "Mom… You can't be serious."

Luella just smiled and looked away.

"Mom?"

"…"

"That's absurd, Mom."

"Well, I don't see how."

Naru took a deep breath, preparing for an onslaught of defenses. He was rallying his thoughts and persuasive points into a small army when his mother's next statement took him off-guard.

"Of course Oliver, my dove, you can return to Japan to see your sweetheart. If your father agrees."

Naru wasn't sure whether he should just go with that or whether it would be better to combat using his other reasons. He was just about to explain that psychic cases were more interesting, and lucrative, in Japan, but his mother's next comment stopped him.

"Your father might take a little convincing, but for the reason you're going… I'm completely in favor of it. I might not be if it were for your own whims, of course. But… well, love must always find a way, after all." She sighed in romantic remembrance and stood up. "Oh, Oliver! This is so exciting! I am so delighted for you, my little boy! Ooooh!" Luella clasped her hands together, her eyes taking on a somewhat dreamy glaze as she delved into her mental file 'Oliver-darling-sweetheart-honey-boy Finally Gets Girlfriend' and spent a few minutes swimming in anticipation and unconcealed joy.

-

**Richmond, England**

**7:29pm**

Naru, violently surprised by his mother's display, could only scoot back as far as possible against the chair he was sitting in and stare, wide-eyed, at what had been only minutes before the serene self-control and elegance he was accustomed to seeing in his mother's her be? Probably. When she got overwhelmed by anything it was hard to talk (especially talk sense) to her.

As a result, his discomfort filled the room, a tangible entity which his mother failed to recognize. Naru sat perfectly still, trying to eye anything except Luella, who practically bounced in place, as bright-eyed as he had been when he'd arrived only half an hour earlier.

She told him to settle in until his father returned, then skipped out of the room to get more tea. It was, Naru had no doubt, an indication that she intended to batter him with questions about Mai… Well, about 'said girl.' His mouth contorted into a small scowl. It bothered him that the first, the only girl that came to mind, the only possibility, was Mai. Hara Masako hadn't even invaded his mind at all, though he had received emails and even a few phone calls from her (how she'd gotten his number was a mystery). He had neglected to respond to her emails, and had only spent a few minutes on the phone with her. Apparently, she had become aware of his disinterest and ceased attempting to contact him. It was a relief not to worry about her knowing who he really was.

But he didn't have time to think about that. Luella was about to storm in with tea and questions. He didn't want to talk about Mai. It was hard enough to think about her. So Naru stood up and walked towards the door, turning the knob to leave. It would be rude to just go without any explanation, and as much as Naru wanted to remove himself from the situation, he couldn't be that disrespectful of his mother. "I'm going for a walk!" he yelled, then vanished out the door.

-

**Somewhere in Japan**

**3:45am**

"_What… another dream like this?" Mai ran her hand through the soft brown tendrils at her scalp, frowning and looking around the room. It was her old room, the one she'd had when her parents were alive. Stuffed animals were everywhere, a few more than she ever remembered having. Her small purple bookcase was in its usual spot as well, filled with volumes of idyllic stories. She wasn't sure how to proceed; usually in dreams like these the important points came to her. Going with that logic, Mai sat down on the foot of her small bed and waited._

_It didn't take long. A corporeal form opened the door to her room and stepped in. Mai glanced up, then faltered, leaning back on her hands to support her shock. It was Naru. Or… was it Gene? No, that couldn't be. Her brow furrowed and she examined his face with confusion. "…Naru?" The boy smiled and sat down next to her._

_"Mai, you know who I am." His smile reached his eyes and overwhelmed Mai's thoughts. It couldn't be Naru, Naru didn't smile. He had, a couple times, but… it rarely reached his eyes. Gene's always had. _

_"Gene?" She was shocked. He was supposed to be resting peacefully now that Naru had found his body._

_"Finally, you call me by the right name," Gene responded, his smile growing. It warmed Mai's heart to see it and she sat up straight, bringing her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. _

_"How come you never told me who you were?" she asked. Now that she knew this was Gene, there were so many questions she had for him. She could barely contain herself. Her eyes lit up and she prepared to be patient. _

_Gene thought for a moment, picking the perfect way to phrase his response. "I… You didn't know I existed. You didn't know who I was. Who you saw was Naru, and I didn't want to overwhelm you, so I played along." Mai nodded, admitting that it made sense._

_"But still, Gene, I never knew, and I wish I had. All that time, I had been thinking that there was a kinder side to Naru that only I knew because he expressed it in my dreams, at least, even if he didn't when I was awake. I tricked myself into believing that he was more than he showed me, because I dreamt of you." Mai frowned, staring at the carpet of her old room. Her eyes freshened slightly with unshed tears. _

_Gene wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her over to him, stroking her hair with his other hand in a comforting manner while she tried to hide a blush. "It's all right, Mai, don't be sad. You're being too hard on Naru."_

_"No, I'm not!" she retorted, allowing her head to rest on his shoulder. Gene wasn't as warm as she would've hoped, but he was a spirit after all. Spirit and warm didn't usually go hand-in-hand. Still, his closeness was calming, and soon Mai's tears evaporated from their brown pools. Gene watched his fingers as they ran through Mai's hair, a far-away expression on his face. Just like Naru._

_"Yes, Mai, you are. You don't know him like I do. He's a good person; you just need to give him a chance. He doesn't share easily." _

_Mai looked up at him, perplexed. "Give him a chance? How can I do that when he's in England? And how can I give him a chance when he's completely disinterested in me? There's no opportunity there, Gene. Besides, he's convinced that I love you." There was a pout to her voice, which made Gene smile again._

_"Are you?" he asked, teasingly, his misty blue eyes shining. Mai thought about responding abashedly but decided it wouldn't do to toy with the dead. She took a deep breath and let it out in an impressive sigh._

_"I don't know," she said softly. "It's all so confusing." She brought her hand to her forehead again, staring into her old bookshelf without reading the titles. Gene rubbed her shoulders affectionately._

_"Well, Mai, you have to think. Did you like-"_

_"Love," she interrupted unhesitatingly. _

_"Okay." Gene smirked at her. "Did you love Naru for your dreams, or for everything he did for you during your hours in life?"_

_"Hours in life? I don't understand."_

_"This…" Gene gestured to the atmosphere about them. "This is not life. This is something else entirely."_

_Mai thought for a minute, unsure how to answer that. She got the feeling that time was running short, so she threw out the only answer that made sense to her. "I'm not sure." Gene nodded and stood up. _

_"Mai, it's time for you to wake up," he said. "Your alarm clock is going off and it's driving Bou-san crazy." He chuckled, covering his mouth with a frail white hand. Mai looked up at him, her eyes damp again, and smiled. _

_"When will I see you again?" she asked. She missed him already. Gene dropped his gaze to her face, still for a minute as if he were memorizing her features._

_"I will watch over you, little Mai." He ruffled her hair, grinned, and was gone._

-

**Somewhere in Japan**

**6:11am**

The blaring of her alarm surged Mai to life. She sat up quickly, rubbing her head and flushing terribly. Gene… she'd seen Gene again. Her heart fluttered uncontrollably. How? He was supposed to be at rest? She hadn't even asked him. She glanced at the clock, its bright green numbers thudding faintly against her watery eyes. "Ugh, it's too early," she mumbled.

She got out of bed, turning her alarm off, and walked to her computer. She turned it on and waited patiently (and groggily) for it to boot up, playing with the split ends in her hair. When it finally finished loading, Mai clicked on her email and began a difficult and tentative email.

Dear Naru-chan,

I know it is probably odd to see this email in your inbox, but I promise you it's important. I saw Gene again in my dreams, which means he's not at rest like we hoped.

Mai.

That was really all she needed to say, so she clicked the send button and began her routine for the morning.

-

**Richmond, England**

**10:20pm**

Naru listened to his parents argue about his plan to return to Japan, closing his eyes and leaning against the heavy chair in his room. It was annoying to hear them fight, but he knew it wasn't so much a real fight as a debate. One his mother would win. She always won. So it was a good thing that she was on his side.

He had called Lin and let him know that he was staying in Richmond for the night, so not to worry. There was nothing else to do, so he supposed it would do to check his email. Naru exuded a very tiny sigh and stood, walking to his computer and signing into his email.

His eyes widened. An email from Mai. Was she angry with him for checking in on her earlier? She couldn't be blamed, really. He'd ignored her for so long, after all, and Mai had a temper. His heart worked double time as he clicked on the email to read it; apprehensive, anticipating. But what the email contained was nothing like what he expected to see.

He froze. Gene's spirit wasn't resting? A strange hollowness overcame him and Naru retreated back to the chair, sitting in it, his long limbs sprawled out over the arms of the chair. Why would Gene be back? He had made sure that his brother could finally rest. What had disturbed his brother's peace? And why had he reached out to Mai instead of to him? He frowned. It would be best to bring this to the attention of his parents, lessen the time of their debate. He got up and left his room, knocking on their door.

"Mother, Father? I need to tell you something." The arguing stopped and he could hear his father sigh before calling for him to come in. Naru did so, not bothering to close the door behind him. "Gene's spirit is no longer at peace. I got an email from… From a friend of mine in Japan who used to see him in her dreams. She tells me that he's back." He folded his arms across his chest and looked sharply at his parents.

Martin Davis frowned and pressed his hand to his forehead. He closed his eyes tightly. Luella was quicker to regain composure. She flitted over to Naru like a sprite and took his face in her hands. "Oh, honey… I'm so sorry," she whispered before hugging him close to her. Naru, although he was not the type, returned his mother's hug and waited for his parents to say something more. When they didn't, he spoke.

"I need to go back to Japan," he said, but he softened his tone.

Finally, his father nodded. "All right."

-

**Richmond, England**

**7:31am**

Martin Davis burst into his son's room, gripping something tightly in his hand. He was loath to send his only son back to Japan, but the boy meant to go, and there probably wasn't anything he could really do to stop the trip. Naru had always been resourceful. He laid a hand on Naru's shoulder and shook the boy awake. "Oliver," he said sharply. "Oliver, wake up."

Naru opened his eyes wearily and pushed himself into a sitting position. "Unh? What is it, Father?" he asked, rubbing his eyes and trying to shake sleep from his body. Wasn't it early? Martin smiled down at him and instructed him to hold out his hand. When Naru did so, Martin dropped a few sheets of folded paper into his palm.

"Here's your ticket. You leave tonight." Martin looked away, frowning. Naru glanced up at his father, and, surprisingly, smiled ever-so-slightly.

"Thank you Father," he said, victory bubbling from him like a euphoric perfume. "I have to go pack."

Martin called his son a taxi and watched the boy head back to South Kensington to pack his equipment and prepare for the trip. Back to Japan, eh? Martin didn't like it, but he had to let his son become his own man.

-

**A Nice Restaurant in Japan**

**5:14pm**

Bou-san's cell phone rang and he flipped it open. "Hello? Oh, yeah. Oh. Okay. I can look into that for you, sure. Uh-huh. All right. Bye." He hung up and shoved the mobile phone into his pants pocket, a disconcerted look controlling his expression.

"What is it?" Ayako asked, flipping a few of her burgundy strands over one shoulder. "You haven't even ordered yet, you know. Now is hardly the right time to start protesting food poisoning or something." She took up the menu and scanned its contents.

"No, it's nothing like that," Bou-san replied. He frowned deeply.

"Well? What's going on, then?" Ayako pressed, glancing up from the menu to meet his eyes. "Is it something with Mai?" Bou-san shook his head.

"No, it's going to be complicated and I'm not sure how I feel about it," he said, zoning off in a random direction. Ayako narrowed her eyes.

"You're being very cryptic, Houshou. I suggest that you tell me what's going on." Ayako set the menu down and glared at him. Bou-san sighed, shaking his head.

"I'm worried for Mai, Ayako. I'm worried about… About her fragile little heart!" Bou-san sighed dramatically and rested his head in his hands. Ayako, not quite sure whether she should take him seriously or not, frowned and stared at the crown of his head, waiting. Finally, Bou-san sat up straight again and met Ayako's gaze. "Naru is coming back to Japan."


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer**: Ghost Hunt is not owned by me.

**Note about Gene:** I noticed there was some speculation concerning the fact that I brought Gene back in my story. This is actually what happens in the original novels. Gene returns and, according to what I've been able to research, does not know why he can't stay at rest. If anyone is interested in finding out more about this, or things that weren't explained in the anime, then feel free to shoot me a private message. :D

**Another Note:** I know what I'm writing doesn't correlate precisely to what's known to happen in Ghost Hunt after the anime and manga, but I'm not following it to the T. While I of course appreciate and welcome your criticisms and comments, please know that I am not adhering strictly to what is known to happen in the series. Of course if I have researched something incorrectly, feel free to point it out. ^.^

And now (Saturday, as promised, at least, it's Saturday where I live), the chapter many of you have been waiting for…

-

**South Kensington, London, England**

**4:41pm**

"Do you have everything ready, Lin?" Naru asked, too busy folding his clothes to look up. The only response he got was a grunt, but it was enough. "You know how to take care of bringing the equipment," Naru said. He continued to fill his own modest suitcase with necessities. Lin approached, looming in the doorway, one hand gently gripping the side of the door.

"Are you sure you're doing this for the right reasons?" Lin was a little older than Naru, but he still felt like the boy's closest friend, even if their relationship hadn't been quite that.

Naru didn't even glance up. "Of course. We both know that there are more interesting cases in Japan. If I'm really going to manage SPR for a while, why not go to the best place for the work?" He walked over to the small bathroom and began packing his toiletries. "I know you aren't fond of the Japanese, Lin, and if you don't want to come, I'm not going to beg you to. But I would appreciate your help." The toothbrush plopped perfectly into the small plastic case.

Lin frowned. Despite his reservations, he knew Naru, and he knew when to give up. With a slight 'hmmh' of displeasure, Lin returned to his own preparations.

-

**Somewhere in Japan**

**12:45pm**

"Mai? Mai, it's getting really late. You should probably tuck in, Hime." Bou-san ruffled Mai's hair. She was still awake, sitting on the couch, as she had been for the past couple hours. He had broken the news to her about Naru's return in the nicest way possible (with ice cream!) but she still took it with the strange detachment from the surrounding world she always exuded when his name was mentioned. Mai pulled the blanket closer about her shoulders.

"I don't know why you insist on calling me that," she pouted, referring to the nickname he had taken to calling her.

"Aw, come on, Hime! For all I know, you are a princess." He grinned. "But you're definitely _my_ princess. So cheer up." Bou-san's usual method of retrieving Mai from "thoughts-of-Naru-land" was to praise her constantly. It wasn't working so far, she was just skulking. But he supposed that being reminded of Naru was a far lighter thought-process than the prospect of actually seeing him in the morning.

"Mmm." She continued to stare out ahead of her, so tired that she could barely register the need to blink her eyes.

Bou-san frowned and stood up. "Well, I tried. It looks like I'm gonna have to call your best friend in…" Mai looked up at him, her face grim.

"I don't think that's the best idea. Yasuhara is probably asleep. It would be rude," Mai pointed out, shooting a small glare at Bou-san. But the monk shook his head.

"I doubt that. You-know-who is in town, so… I think I will invite them both." He grinned, and started walking towards the telephone. He even whistled softly, an obvious goad. Mai clenched her teeth.

"Bou-san, that's rude! Don't be an idiot; you can't bring them both over here _now_. It's almost one in the morning!" She started trying to untangle herself from the blanket. Bou-san almost (almost) giggled and lunged for the phone, just as Mai finally tugged the blanket off and took off after it. Needless to say, Bou-san won. He's much larger than Mai. "Bou-san!"

But she was too late.

Bou-san had already pressed the speed-dial number. The phone rang, Mai stepped back, her curled hands pressed to her mouth as she waited in increasing dread. Yasuhara answered. He sounded rather bedraggled, but still awake.

"Yo. Yasuhara, Mai is upset because Naru's coming back. Yeah. No, tomorrow. Yep, that soon. Anyway, she's in an epic mood. Haha, you're right, just like Naru! Grumpy. Think you and Masako could come cheer her up? Great. Oh, she's trying to kill me with a look. Yeah. All right." He hung up the phone and turned to his fuming ward. "What? Mai, they weren't asleep or anything. Yasuhara and Masako are on their way over. So I would suggest repairing that attitude of yours, Hime!" Mai glared at him.

"Maybe as soon as you repair your manners!"

"Ah, my manners are fine!"

"No they're not, you're incredibly rude!"

"It was only Yasuhara, jeez."

"It doesn't matter who it was."

"Hime you can be such a prude. Unless you want to show him your pajamas I would suggest a change of clothes. Wouldn't want to be the odd one out, neh?"

"As if I care what I'm wearing!"

"Oh? I thought girls cared about what they looked like to other girls, right?"

"Bou-san! I don't care what Masako thinks of how I'm dressed!"

Twenty minutes later, when Yasuhara and Masako arrived…

"Really? It was my understanding that girls actually dressed up for girls, not us guys like I had been thinking most of my life."

"Well then you must be extremely jealous when Ayako dresses up to come see _me_, not you."

"Ayako doesn't count, Mai. She's always dressed up."

"Oh, Ayako counts. You just don't want to admit it." Mai's face became an expression of overwhelming smugness. Bou-san's brow wavered. Really? But he thought Ayako made all that effort to look pretty for _him_.

"Uh, hi? Can we interject at some point?"

Mai and Bou-san flicked their gazes to the doorway, where Yasuhara and Masako stood, patiently, if not awkwardly. Mai smiled feebly. "Oh. Hi, Yasuhara." Her smile became a beam when she saw Masako. "Masako! It's so good to see you!" She leapt up and dashed to the kimono-clad girl, who smiled in return and held her arms open.

"Mai! It's been almost a month, I know." The girls shared a hug and then stood apart. Masako sighed into her kimono sleeve. "But I've just been so busy lately, and-"

"It's all right, I understand how your schedule is. You don't have to apologize anymore, Masako, I'm just glad to see you," Mai interrupted. The girls began to chat pleasantly, Masako telling Yasuhara and Mai about her recent trip. Bou-san settled back onto the couch and clicked the television on, smiling secretly.

The road to friendship had been rocky for Masako and Mai. They had begun as romantic rivals, but as time passed and Mai didn't quite return Masako's malice, the two formed an uneasy truce. When Naru left, Masako still held some bitterness for Mai that was only heated by Naru's negligence. She had been under the impression that Naru would reply to Mai, but not to her. When Mai clarified the situation (Mai had never even attempted to contact Naru), Masako felt ashamed and apologized. Since that time, their friendship has flourished, the two girls becoming rather close.

Bou-san listened to the two girls' chatter and closed his eyes. At least Mai was distracted from thoughts of Naru, for now. But there would be hell in the morning.

-

**Heathrow Airport, Flight 287**

**7:03pm**

It was _cramped._ Naru gritted his teeth as someone's baby started screaming in the background. His only consolation was that his father had been nice enough to get them first class seats. So at least a large armrest separated him from the very gaudy woman who kept looking him over like he was her kind of favorite candy bar. Naru sighed inwardly. It was not going to be a very pleasant flight.

Lin, sitting on the other side of the aisle, was engrossed in a newspaper article. He has grudgingly put away his laptop until the plane took off and reached the proper altitude, and was thusly in a bad mood. There would be no use in talking to him. Naru almost considered asking Lin to switch seats, thinking that he could ignore people much more easily, but there was a rather obese business man sitting next to Lin who was already beginning to sweat. Naru crinkled his nose very subtly. He would have to make do with the ravenous woman. Another child began to cry, adding to the chorus of unhappy children already expressing themselves.

Ten hours. For ten hours he would be subjected to this. He wasn't sure if he was afraid to fall asleep, or afraid that he wouldn't be able to.

-

**Somewhere in Japan**

**11:49am**

"Hime, did you want to go to the airport with me?" Bou-san asked, jingling his car keys in his hands. He was not accustomed to driving, usually he walked wherever he needed to be, but the bigger band gigs had forced him to purchase a car. It was a tiny little thing (he had been silly enough to let Mai pick it out, thinking to give it to her as a congratulatory present when she finished school) and it made him feel unmanly to drive it. Ayako made fun of him for it sometimes, but Mai enjoyed being in it, so he didn't mind as much as he otherwise would've. Except that it was yellow, and men were _not_ supposed to drive yellow cars.

Mai walked out of the bathroom in a bathrobe, her hair wrapped in a gigantic pink towel. She held her toothbrush in her mouth and glared at Bou-san. He took that as a no.

"All right, I will be back in a couple hours, then." It would take a little time to drive to the airport. "Do you need any money for lunch or something? I figured you might want to take Masako and Yasuhara." Mai cocked her head to the side and furrowed her brow. Bou-san knew that she still had pride issues about accepting all the pampering he showered upon her. It was funny that what aggravated her so in Naru was a trait that she herself carried. He smiled and turned to the door. "I'm just going to put some cash on the counter for you, okay? It'll take me a couple hours to drive to the airport and back, so you should take Masako and Yasuhara out for something to eat. You, uh, might want to wake them up, too." He glared at the couch where Yasuhara sprawled, snoring indelicately, glasses perched on his mouth.

Mai nodded, then realized that the towel atop her head had begun to fall forward, and rushed back into the bathroom. Bou-san chuckled slightly before dropping a good deal of yen on the counter and leaving for the airport.

-

**Somewhere in Japan**

**12:10pm**

"Yasuhara, wake up!" Mai shook her friend for the fifth time. He gurgled a response and shifted his weight, trapping Masako's kimono sleeve under his knee. The medium squeaked softly and tried to pull it out from beneath Yasuhara's weight. "I said wake up, you idiot!" Mai tried again, smacking him on the back of the head. It still didn't work. Mai sighed, resting her hands on her hips and glaring down at his disheveled hair.

"Maybe we should switch tactics," Masako suggested, perturbed now that Yasuhara was far heavier than she'd anticipated. She poked his face with the index finger of her free hand.

"To what?" Mai rubbed the back of her neck, where a small kink had formed in her sleep. After a moment, her face brightened. "I know!" She hurried to the kitchen and filled a glass with cold water, then came back and tossed it on Yasuhara's face with unrestrained glee, splattering some on the couch pillows and a little on Masako.

"You could've aimed that better, Mai." Masako wiped the side of her face with her un-trapped kimono sleeve. Yasuhara, _still_ asleep, apparently had a similar idea, and shifted again to dry his face in the fabric of her lap. Masako's face turned berry-red and she gasped soundlessly. "Ya… Yasuhara! How inappropriate!" Mai was, as well, totally surprised and stood there with a blank expression. Masako made a little shriek and started beating Yasuhara over the head with her fists, sleeves flying like a clumsy bird's wings.

Mai couldn't help it. She started to laugh. The pleasant sound bubbled forth from her throat and filled the living room. Mai clutched her stomach and bent forward, laughing so hard that it hurt to breathe. Her eyes squinted shut and she knelt to the floor, nearly doubling-over with the strength of her mirth.

Masako wasn't amused whatsoever with Yasuhara's sleep-induced logic. She finally smacked him hard enough that he awoke, and, not realizing her success, continued to beat him with her tiny fists. Due to this, when Yasuhara tried to raise his head from its unexpected pillow, the force from Masako's hits shoved his face down into her demure chest. When she realized this, Masako shrieked again and threw him off of her, rising and dashing into the bathroom. Mai was sprawled out on the floor, laughing.

"It…. It was so… so beautifully awkward," she sputtered, chortling. "I'm… I'm so embarrassed for you!" Yasuhara's cheeks flushed and he looked absolutely miserable.

"S-sorry, Masako!" he yelled towards the bathroom. He eyed Mai's flailing form. "You sure don't look embarrassed for me," he mumbled, narrowing her eyes.

It took a few minutes for Mai to stop laughing, and another few for Masako to emerge from the bathroom, her face calm and blank. Yasuhara apologized numerous times, but Masako, just as upset as Yasuhara was flustered, declined to forgive him. Mai sighed and pocketed the money that Bou-san had left her.

"Let's just go get something to eat, okay? Lunch is on Bou-san." She ushered her friends out of the house and locked up. _When we get back,_ she thought, _Naru might already be here._ It was a difficult concept. She wasn't sure if she was unhappy or not, apprehensive or just agitated. He hadn't even responded to her email (she had secretly checked that morning), which she'd considered to be regarding a rather important issue. His indifference infuriated her. If she had a dead brother who had tried to contact Naru through his dreams, she'd be damn sure to reply to that message immediately. She'd even call.

Oddly, Gene had not invaded her dreams last night… well, this morning, to be more precise. She guessed it was because the issue was already in the process of being dealt with (Naru was returning to Japan, for instance.) After all, she had only dreamt of Gene when she was on a case with SPR.

She sighed. How was she going to deal with Naru's return? She hadn't thought about it at all. In fact, she'd been avoiding the thought-process. _What if he acts differently, now? …No, he won't be different. Nothing could change that boy._ Mai frowned and began to tug on the strings of her sweater. _He's going to be the same, arrogant, narcissistic, holier-than-thou bastard he was when he left._

And strangely, Mai felt herself counting on that.

-

**Airport in Japan**

**1:24pm**

Bou-san and Lin finished loading the last bit of luggage into the very inappropriately-sized car. "What about your equipment?" Bou-san asked with a frown. There was no way that they could fit it all into the car. Hell, they couldn't fit any of it. Naru didn't look up from the book he was reading in the front seat.

"I've arranged for a van to pick it up," he said. "I'm starting up SPR again."

As soon as everything (that could be) was loaded up, Bou-san strapped into the driver's seat and started back. Silence filled the car for a bit, which was awkward for everyone except Naru. Finally, Bou-san began to talk. Naru could tell he was about to broach a topic he wasn't comfortable bringing up, because his massive hands tightened around the steering wheel.

"So you're starting SPR back up?" he asked. Naru sighed inwardly and shot an annoyed glare Bou-san's way. He had just said that. He knew this was Bou-san's entrance into the topic and begrudgingly played along.

"Didn't I just say that?" Okay, perhaps Naru wasn't good at playing along. Bou-san frowned.

"Yeah, I guess you did." A little more silence. Lin had brought out his laptop from whatever secret crevasse he'd stashed it in, and was typing hurriedly away on it. Finally, Bou-san continued the conversation. "Are you going to give Mai her job back?"

Naru closed his book and set it on his knee. He gave Bou-san his full attention, politely, and focused his oceanic eyes on the monk. "Are you expecting me to?"

Bou-san slanted his gaze at Naru. "Are you going to answer any question without a question?" he asked, perturbed. Naru sniffed softly but humouredly.

"Maybe. Since you asked, I was planning to offer her the position of an investigator."

Bou-san's frown deepened. "An investigator who still makes your tea?"

Oh god. Mai's tea. Naru's throat burned with yearning.

"If she agrees to it, then hopefully," he replied. _Tea tea tea tea tea tea tea tea tea!_

"I think it would be better for her to stay in school, Naru," Bou-san said firmly. His fingers tightened over the steering wheel.

"I think the decision is hers to make. You may have taken her in, Bou-san, but you can't tell her what to do with her life." Naru stared at Bou-san, his eyes steely. He knew the monk adored Mai and wanted her life to be as pain-free as possible, but Mai had a gift. What exactly that gift was, he didn't know. But he was certain there was something of the occult about her.

Besides, he had a feeling that Mai would accept his job offer. He didn't know what he'd do if she didn't.

-

**Somewhere in Japan**

**5:50pm**

Mai lounged on the couch. Yasuhara and Masako had previous engagements they'd had to attend to, so Mai was alone at the house. Bou-san had given her a call a few hours ago and told her that they would be late on arriving, since Naru and Lin wanted to drop off and set up their equipment at the SPR office in Dogenzaka, Shibuya. She stared at the clock and sighed. The suspense was racking at her nerves. When would he finally be here? She found herself so agitated that working on homework was impossible, so she'd collapsed on the couch with a book.

It was a pretty serious book. It focused on paranormal cases in Japan's recent history. Mai was proud of herself for choosing such an interesting subject manner. She read the book slowly, absorbing all the information she received.

She heard Bou-san's car pull into the tiny driveway and leapt off the couch. Did she look okay? She ran for the mirror. Wait, why did she care if she looked okay or not? She skidded to a stop and, forced by pride, simply smoothed her shoulder-length hair down and re-arranged her clothing. Her heart beat all over the place.

By the time she was finished correcting her appearance, the front door opened and her head (previously bent down to examine the hem of her relatively short skirt) shot up and immediately her eyes locked with a pair of deep blue ones. He was a little taller, but so was she. He looked the same otherwise, his attention-grabbing eyes and messy black hair that hung over his forehead and intruded very slightly into his vision. He still wore black, like he always had. Time seemed to have stopped. She couldn't look away.

"Naru…" If he had come back six months ago, she would have rushed at him, tears of joy streaming down her face. Her heart would have swelled, full once more with his added presence. Now she felt a small tug at her heart, a memory of misplaced feelings. Looking at him now, the same careless air and nonchalant expression, she felt another emotion entirely. Mai clenched her hands into fists, her brow furrowing over the eyes that were usually so welcoming.

His glance was indifferent. Stoic. It took a vast amount of willpower to contain the anger her slight body was experiencing.

"You look different," he said; the same dismissive tone highlighting his words. That's what he had decided to say? It had been nearly a year and _that_ was the best he could do?

"You missed my birthday," she replied, keeping her voice as empty as his.

Bou-san, now very familiar with the way Mai worked, grew tense. This wasn't how he had expected the reunion to go. Naru's expression struggled a moment between a straight face and what might be called a smirk. It was odd, and slightly uncomfortable, to witness.

"Ah, yes. It would seem that I did."

Bou-san interjected before Mai could fly off the handle. "We have a lot to catch up on, Naru. I told Ayako that we would meet her for dinner."

Naru and Mai remained still, locked in what was almost an unwavering trance. Bou-san crossed his arms over his chest and adopted his 'serious-look.'

"I promised her we wouldn't be late."

-

OOC

There we go! I told you they'd meet again soon. ;) Let me know how you guys like the fic so far, I really enjoy reading your reviews! Thank you for all the wonderful comments, too. They really make my day! :D

Castille.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** Ghost Hunt, I do not own.

Here's chapter 5… I hope you guys enjoy it! I know I kind of left you hanging with chapter 4. :P And thank you for all the lovely reviews! They were so nice. :D Anyway, on to the chapter!

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**Somewhere in Japan**

**5:56pm**

The four of them filed out of the house, Bou-san locking the door as they left. He clicked his little car open and went to take his seat as the driver. Mai walked to the back seat and was about to open the door when another hand shot out before hers and opened it instead. (It was a coupe, so the car only had two doors.) She glanced up to find a (still stoic) Naru patiently holding the door open.

"If you don't mind, I would like to get into the back before you take your seat. It would be far easier that way," he said, staring down at her. Even though the request and the action were polite, Mai still felt somehow insulted and belittled.

"Don't you want the front seat?" she asked, a hint of provocation to her tone. Naru's eyes didn't change.

"You're the lady, you should sit up front," he replied. Mai huffed, but stepped back from the door to let him get in first. Even when he wasn't being rude, Naru still made her feel… Made her feel like she was so beneath him. He was so much smarter, so much cleverer, so much the 'bigger person.' Being around Naru was like playing second fiddling to life. She pressed her lips together in a thin line and plopped down into the front seat after Naru had situated himself. And accidentally sent the chair sliding back into him. He made a somewhat grunt-like sound and Mai panicked briefly trying to resituate the seat.

"S-sorry," she stammered, finally clicking the right mechanism into place that allowed her to pull the seat forward, giving Naru enough room to breathe. He didn't respond, and Mai spent the entire car-ride in a flush of embarrassment.

-

**Restaurant in Japan**

**6:30pm**

"You're late." Ayako tapped her watch face with a manicured finger, glaring up at Bou-san, who was, of course, to blame. As often as possible. Bou-san frowned.

"Hey, don't look at me. I was the one taking forever to get into the car." He pointedly stared at Mai. Ayako shook her head.

"Houshou, Mai is never to blame for anything," she cooed, opening her arms to the girl. "Hello, sweetie. You look lovely today. Here, sit by me." She smiled as Mai sat on the chair next to hers, then her dark, almost reddish eyes flicked to Naru and scrutinized him. "Naru, it's been a while." A pause. "You don't look any bigger. Do people actually grow in England? I can't imagine it, with the climate. That's the problem, Naru, the climate there has stunted your growth. You were getting along so well here, too. Oh, well. That's what happens when you leave Japan." She leaned back, forgetting for a moment the harsh lessons in posture that her mother had forced her through, and glanced at Lin very briefly. "Lin, I almost didn't see you behind Naru's shadow. What are you guys waiting for? Sit down, sit down. It's getting later by the minute and I'm already ravenous." Naru and Lin did as she suggested, slightly nervous and trying to hide it. Bou-san picked up the menu and stifled a giggle.

"Of course, Ayako, we wouldn't dream of delaying your further. The entire menu wouldn't satisfy you." He hid, deviously, behind his menu, beaming like a child.

That is, until Ayako whacked him in the head.

"Are you implying that I'm _fat_?"

Silence. Tense, uncomfortable silence.

"N-no! I would never imply anything," Bou-san stammered in response. Ayako wasn't fooled. Her eyes narrowed into slits. Very angry, demon-like slits.

"So you're just saying it? I see how it is. You know, I never mention it when you've gained a little bit of weight. _Never._" She tipped back a little of the plum wine she'd ordered and made a show of ignoring him. Bou-san spent the next few minutes in a whirlwind of new self-esteem issues as Ayako continued to demurely sip on her wine. Almost embarrassed, Mai scooted forward until she was sitting on the edge of her seat and buried her face in the menu.

Naru watched her, amused by her quiet childishness. It had been so long since he'd been able to lay eyes on her… The soft fluff of her brown hair, the inquisitive and delighted lights in her eyes as she took in the aspects of her current environment. He would be surprised if the sun didn't rise and set with her moods. Or at least hide behind clouds and emerge during happier periods. He didn't realize that he was staring until she glanced up from the menu and met his eyes. Quickly, he cast his gaze in a different, random direction.

That was a silly thought; the sun adhering to Mai. Of course that didn't happen. What was he thinking? Nothing productive apparently.

But was it really so silly? He snuck another peek at her face. She had certainly grown a little more into her own since he'd seen her last. Meeting her again in the living room earlier had been like a brutal smack in the face. The awkward girl he had known was so dissimilar to the creature who now sat across the table from him, twirling slightly longer hair than he remembered around a finger as she perused the menu. Her face was contorted slightly in thought, which he knew sprouted from her natural indecisiveness. Her eyes, now unguarded, still held the same sweetness he'd become accustomed to so many months ago. How was it possible that she had changed so much in less than a year? It didn't seem right. Why had he missed out on that, on those changes? Shame stung him as he leaned back in his chair, keeping his expression guarded, if not his emotions. It was the first time he'd been truly confused by something since Gene's mysterious death and disappearance.

Mai tried too hard to ignore him, he noticed. A smile threatened him but did not emerge. He looked at her, watching her change her mind a dozen times about what to order. Still, her face was so honest and easy to read. He had always enjoyed that about her; it had always made him feel like he could understand her without analyzing her, which was a relief to him. It didn't feel right to analyze Mai.

He hadn't noticed how distracted he was by thoughts of her until the waiter politely tapped him on the shoulder. Trying to hide his surprise, Naru ordered the first thing he saw on the menu and settled back into his position of nonchalance. Mai took a couple minutes to order, insisting that everyone else go ahead of her. Even then, she changed her mind three more times, finally settling on something simple and cheap. Ah, so she had issues with being taken care of, did she? Naru almost smiled, but held back at the last moment. That would work well in his favor. She would want to come back to work, then, if only to make her own money.

Ayako and Bou-san finally got over their bickering and began to pummel Naru with questions about how he had been, ghost hunting in England, and what he planned to do now that he was back in Japan. Naru answered their questions promptly, kept his attention on them, and avoided looking at Mai for the duration of the meal. When she check came, Naru took it, despite Bou-san's protestations.

"It's all right, Bou-san. I can get dinner tonight," he said, his eyes meeting Mai's. She looked embarrassed and her face was slightly pinker. Naru looked away and went to pay the bill. When they all shuffled out of the restaurant, Naru fell into step beside Mai and whispered to her: "Next time, order whatever you like."

-

**Somewhere in Japan**

**8:16pm**

Everyone filed into Bou-san's house, Ayako heading straight to the liquor cabinet to open a celebratory bottle of wine. Mai dashed off to her room, eager to finally be alone again. It had been a bit overwhelming, seeing Naru and Lin like that and feeling so awkward about it. It had been a long time since she'd felt lost-for-words around Naru and Lin, but their time away had turned them into strangers again. She sighed and flopped onto her bed, spreading her arms wide to grip the sides of the mattress. Her eyes closed, finally, to peace of mind and darkness.

She was agitated that Naru had noticed that she'd ordered the cheapest meal on the menu. But what bothered her even more was that he'd neglected to mention his brother. At all. How could he be so indifferent about the situation? Gene's spirit was troubled and suffering from unrest of some kind. She didn't know what to do about it, she'd been hoping that Naru would have a solution, but he hadn't said a thing. Not a god-damned thing! "Ugh!" She sat up in a huff. He was infuriating. And why had he been looking at her like that during dinner? Had he come back only for the purpose of annoying her? Well, it felt like it. Mai fell back onto her bed again, unsure what to do with all her anger-induced energy. She closed her eyes tightly.

"Mai?" Great, her thoughts of Naru had called the beast into her room. She did not sit up, did not open her eyes. All she did was reply, and rather curtly at that.

"What?"

She heard him step into her room and close the door quietly behind, drowning out the laughter and chatter taking place in the living room. She waited for him to begin some manner of conversation but heard nothing for several minutes. When her patience ran out (quickly) she opened one eye and peeked. He was there, leaning against the wall, his tall frame draped in the all-too-familiar black ensemble he had favored in the time she'd known him. He wasn't looking at anything in particular, his gaze askew in thought. An expression she could call grim was ruling his face and his arms were crossed casually over his chest.

What surprised her was the look in his eyes. It was almost like the empty, haunted look that he'd adopted in the case with Urado, when she'd asked him if he'd ever experienced dying. It tugged at her for a moment, and her eyes finally grew sympathetic, if only for a short time. If what he wanted was to mope and zone off all moodily, then why had he come into her room to do it? Mai frowned. Then she heard another loud burst of laughter ensue from the other room and realized that, perhaps, he had nowhere else to go. He couldn't very well meander about their house in search of a secluded corner. It wasn't a place he was familiar with, after all.

Regardless, Mai gave him some time. She lay still on her bed, waiting for Naru to gather his thoughts enough to say something. It took a while, but the silence wasn't uncomfortable, much to Mai's surprise.

"I got your email, about Gene," Naru finally said, shifting his azure gaze to Mai's eyelids.

"Oh," was the smartest thing she could think to reply with off the top of her head. Anything else she could've said might be deemed rude. Naru sighed. A low, personal sigh, but audible nonetheless.

"Did you get a chance to talk to him?" Naru asked, but the question was unsure and had an edge to it that she was unfamiliar with.

"Um, well, a little." Mai opened her eyes but stared at the ceiling. She pushed back a blush. What was she going to tell Naru? That she'd spent all her time with Gene talking about him? Certainly that was out of the question. "I… didn't get a chance to ask him why. Why he was back, I mean."

"I know what the why was regarding," Naru snapped, his shoulders tensing. Mai glanced up at him and he visibly made an effort to relax his body. "How many times have you… dreamed of him?" It was a necessary but awkward question, and Mai marveled at how unnerved he sounded. She sat up, ignited by curiosity.

"Only that once. He hasn't returned, but it's only been one night." She paused, then added, for emphasis: "I sent you an email the morning after it happened." There was a chastising note to her tone, but she wasn't' sorry for it. She was upset that he hadn't responded, that he hadn't even told her he was coming back. It had been Bou-san who told her. Her eyes narrowed.

"I see." Naru's brain was working, she could tell, filing through a million reasons why Gene might not be at rest. He still didn't look at her. Mai scowled.

"You could have written me back, or called, or… or something," she said, having held it in for too long. Mai was not the person to bottle things up. Besides, anger towards Naru was too natural. It would be a shame to deviate from it now. "Why did you come back, anyway? You were gone for almost a year and I didn't hear anything from you, anything at all. Not even a stupid email for my birthday! And now you're back, acting like you never left at all. What kind of person behaves like that?" She was on the verge of standing up now, her hands clenched into fists, her small chest burning with unspent fury. Naru finally flicked his gaze to her, his expression stoic, like it always was.

"I am sorry about your birthday," he said plainly. "And for not replying about Gene. It must have troubled you to get no response about something so important." He pushed away from the wall he'd been leaning on and turned to leave the room. "Thank you for letting me know about Gene. I'm sure it wasn't easy to write me, even so impersonally." Then he was gone, her door closing behind him. Mai cringed inwardly, the spark of anger that had so consumed her gone. Why did he always say the right things? Maybe they weren't always the right things, but they drained her of whatever strength of emotion had been governing her. Too mentally exhausted to attempt anything else, she crawled under her covers and passed out without changing into pajamas.

-

**Somewhere in Japan**

**11:11pm**

Naru finished saying goodbye to everyone at Bou-san's, noting that Ayako and Bou-san were a little too merry with drink to pursue more intelligent conversation. Besides, he was tired. It had been a long flight and a long day. He stretched his arms as he and Lin left and checked the clock on his cell phone. "Lin, I will be there in a few minutes. There's something I have to take care of first." He walked quietly around to the back of Bou-san's house, taking care not to win the attention of the drunken monk and his miko companion. He reached a familiar window, relieved to find that there was windowsill enough for his purposes.

Very carefully, Naru brought something from the depths of his coat pocket and sat it on the windowsill, then rapped on the glass and quickly withdrew. Lin was waiting, and the two of them drove off to the hotel where they were staying until an apartment was arranged. Naru glanced back over his shoulder once.

-

**Somewhere in Japan**

**11:13pm**

Mai was wrenched from slumber by a loud rapping. She groaned and sat up groggily, looking for the source of the noise. Finding nothing, she was about to go back to sleep when she noticed a small box on her windowsill. It definitely hadn't been there before. Perplexed, Mai got out of bed and opened her window to retrieve the item. It was a small white box free from any embellishments. Furrowing her brow, Mai sat down on the foot of her bed and opened it.

Inside, sitting pleasantly among two small sheets of pink tissue paper, was a well-worn 500 yen coin. Mai's heart stopped. She reached in to pick it up, surprised to find that it was warm. Underneath the coin was a small note:

_Mai. Happy Birthday. Sorry I didn't call._

She didn't need a signature to know who it was from. Unsure of how to feel, she rubbed her thumb against the surface of the coin. It was the same coin he'd called his "pet" before, when they'd been stuck in the well during one of her earliest cases for SPR. He'd been very good with his slight-of-hand tricks, she recalled, but had never performed more for her. Still, he remembered her childish reverence of what he'd done then, hadn't he? Why else would Naru give her such a gift, especially when it seemed he could easily buy her something generic?

A sentimental gift from Naru. It was hard to imagine, but there it was, warming the palm of her hand. It made her upset and happy at the same time. Was it a sweet gift, or a lazy one? No, it was definitely a thoughtful present. She stared down at the coin, confused by the flurry of emotions that bloomed within her. _Naru… Why do you have to be like that? So easy to be mad at, so easy to forgive._ She looked at the coin again, examining its worn surfaces carefully, as if she were searching for something out of the ordinary. It had been well-loved, that was for sure. Mai closed her hand over the coin, the warmth contained in the small disc of metal seeping through her arm and into her chest. It was very calming.

Naru had given her something very important to him. Now if only she could work out why he'd bothered to do so.

-

OOC

Sorry, I know it's a little shorter than my last chapter. I can't stuff a chapter with too much good Mai/Naru stuff yet though. :P Let me know what you guys think, and hopefully I will have the next chapter up in about a week! :D Thanks!


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Ghost Hunt. I'm kind of tired of writing this every time, so… This is going to be the last time I include it. Just know that I am not the owner of Ghost Hunt or any of its characters, and, um, keep knowing that, I guess. :)

**Note:** Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers! Keeping up with writing this story has been so much easier thanks to you guys. :D Don't forget that if you have any questions about what is in the story or anything like that, then feel free to shoot me a private message. :) I'm sorry this chapter took so long! But I hope you all enjoy it.

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**Somewhere in Japan (possibly)**

**3:02am**

_Another familiar room, perhaps from her childhood but she couldn't say for sure. Or, at least, it was part of a room. She didn't know why one of the walls wasn't there, giving way to an endless gleam of light instead of anything stolid. She frowned. It was another surreal dream, which is why she knew what was coming next._

_And there he was, like always, emerging from inexplicable mist. Gene. Her heart fluttered. He walked up to her and smiled; the kind, genuine smile that she had spent days contemplating when she worked at SPR. "Hello," she breathed._

_"Mai," was his cordial response, but as he neared her she could see worry in his eyes. _

_"Is there… something else?" Mai asked quietly, searching his face. She wasn't sure what she meant, but was convinced that he would understand the question. Gene cocked his head to one side and, unusually, frowned. He stretched out his hand to her, beckoning. Mai teetered as she placed her smaller hand within his. "Are you going to show me something?" He didn't reply, but so often in her dreams he had merely pointed the way and said little. Gene gripped her hand gently and lead her in the direction of the light, back the way he had come. They walked for what seemed like a great while; Mai too absorbed in staring at him, memorizing everything she could about him, to say anything more. Gene, too, was silent, only glancing back at her from time to time with a calming smile._

_The floor they tread upon was too bright to focus on directly. It had the ethereal quality of a cloud-scape or perhaps that slowing phenomenon that hits when you first dive beneath water. The mist that surrounded them was gentle, almost caressing as it brushed against Mai's skin, clinging in miniscule droplets. There was no wind but somehow the strands of Gene's hair lifted and floated as if there were, accentuating his own transient quality. Some force, magic or perhaps sheer strength of personality, emanated from him, as it always had, but Mai felt like she was noticing it for the first time. His movements weren't as careful as Naru's, or as intentional. He had a location in mind and he was certainly headed there, but Gene's thought-process, she could see, was quite different. Almost carefree, whereas Naru would have drawn up a plan of action, at least mentally. Mai's heart constricted whenever Gene looked back to smile at her, as he did reassuringly for their whole jaunt. Smiles came more easily to him. Mai couldn't help but feel that a smile from Naru, once won, would be far more devastating. One had to go through the process of winning it. _

_Naru had smiled at her, once. When she had called him a murderer for trying to reverse a kodoku curse onto its unsuspecting casters and had a few spirited screaming bouts. Then she'd realized that he'd used hitogata to absorb the curse, saving the student casters. Ashamed, she had tried to tell him that she was sorry, but he had apologized first, saying that he knew it must have been hard for her. In a huff of indignance, she had told Naru that it was unfair for him to take the best parts, like the apology. His only reply had been to smile. It was the only time she really remembered him smiling, and the memory had become far more precious to her than Gene's first smile. Even when she'd thought he was Naru. _

_Gene stopped walking. It took Mai a moment to notice and she barely avoided careening into him. "We're here," he said, his gaze cast downwards._

_"Where?" Mai stepped forward until she stood beside him. He was staring at a hole in their mystical flooring, engrossed by what he saw. She lowered her eyes to the same location, surprised to find herself staring at a dilapidated old building, massive in size but completely abandoned. Except for one person. She narrowed her eyes and scooted closer to the hole to get a better look. _

_All she could see was his back and his hair, but it was definitely a male. A youth, it looked like. Maybe late teens or early twenties, if posture was anything to go on. Which it might not have been. His hair was unkempt and dark brown, falling in twisting tendrils over each shoulder. The shirt he wore was dirty and smeared, as were the ripped pants. Maybe he was homeless? Mai frowned. He was bent over something, digging away. She couldn't see what. _

_Gene glanced down at her and let go of her hand, bringing his hand up her arm to rest almost possessively on her shoulder. He knelt close to her. "Mai, look, there," he instructed, pointing to the far side of the building. Small white lights practically overwhelmed one of the rooms. Mai gasped. _

_"What are those? Spirits?" she asked, wide-eyed. Gene nodded._

_"This place used to be a hospital. These are the spirits of those who have died. They cannot leave this place." His expression grew serious as he stared solemnly at the bobbing white lights. Mai dragged her gaze away from the spirit horde and rested it on Gene._

_"Like you?" She remembered what Naru had asked. Gene's hand felt cool on her shoulder, which was nice since she'd been a bit warm anyway. She felt like blushing, but didn't. He didn't say anything. She took a deep breath and tried again. "Gene, why can't you rest?"_

_He frowned, uncomfortable but resigned. Finally, "I don't know." Suddenly he felt fragile, close to shattering. "Mai, I don't know." The air around him was thick with tumultuous emotion, practically static with despair. He had been obsessing about it, she suddenly understood. His lack of comprehension was sickening, horrifying to him, just like Naru when he discovered he was wrong. But far more melancholy. She decided to change the subject, but before she could, Gene shook off the sense of hopelessness that had begun to be a palpable entity and spoke. "Mai, whether you choose it or not, you are a part of this," he said, gesturing towards the broken building. Mai frowned, trying to think of a response, but he interrupted again. "Take care of him, Mai. Please. For me." He smiled, then was gone. She didn't know why she felt like she could no longer breathe._

-

**Somewhere in Japan**

**7:54am**

The alarm blared, jarring Mai into consciousness. She jerked up, pushing back tangled hair with one hand and gasping for breath. Gene. Again. Once she felt that she was breathing properly once more, Mai lay back down, staring at the ceiling and thinking. He had felt so _in pain_ this time… was that something she should report to Naru, or should she spare him that detail? No, she wouldn't tell him about Gene's inner turmoil. Reciting what he'd told her would be enough. She wasn't angry enough with Naru to torment him with the knowledge of his brother's suffering.

Mai wasn't even sure if she was mad at him anymore. She glanced over at her nightstand, where the 500 yen coin sat peacefully with a dull sheen. She didn't know how to feel about the gift, and looked away. Morning light peeked in from behind the curtains and danced over the foot of her bed. In a moment of childish delight, Mai moved her foot (it being beneath the covers) to follow one of the light streams. A smile flickered across her lips before she resigned herself to her thoughts again.

_Why are you like this, Naru?_ she groaned mentally. _I hate you… yet I don't. Why is it so easy to forget how mad I am at you? You barely speak to me for nearly a year, and I was so furious with you, but all you have to do is give me this stupid present and I'm supposed to feel fine again? No, that's not right. It's not fair! I can't let myself be like that. I'm… I'm not his Mai anymore; I have my own life now. He shouldn't be able to sneak in like this and resume his place, as if he'd never left! _Her eyes darkened and she spent the next hour in bed, thinking about Naru but not getting anywhere new with her pondering. At last, she decided to accept the coin as a caring gesture, even if she wasn't prepared to examine what kind of care Naru was bent on distributing. He had acted callously toward her, and Mai wasn't ready to forgive him for that yet.

Just as she decided this, the phone rang. Startled, she almost fell out of bed, but managed to catch herself on the bedpost. With a huff, she stepped over to her desk and picked up the phone there. "H-hello, this is the Takigawa residence," she said politely into the receiver.

"Mai?" It was Naru. Mai inhaled sharply and held her breath. "Mai?"

"… Yes, this is Mai."

"It's Naru."

"Hello." Ugh, why couldn't she think of something better to say?! Naru didn't seem to care. He had his agenda and it wasn't changing based on her inability to reply with something wittier.

"Be ready by noon," he said, about to hang the phone up.

"Wait! What do you mean, be ready by noon? Ready for what?" Mai asked, rather frantically. What was he talking about, and where did he get off telling her what to do?

A pause. "We're going to lunch. I'm picking you up at noon. See you then." And he hung up the phone. Mai stared, dumbfounded, at the receiver. He had determined this, then? He hadn't even asked her! She ought to call him back and tell him exactly what she thought of his lunch offer! But… she didn't know his phone number. And… it was a good opportunity to bring up her latest dream with Gene. Also… she could ask him about the unexpected birthday present.

"AAARGH. Naru, you're so frustrating!"

-

**Somewhere in Japan**

**11:54am**

Naru pulled up to Bou-san's house in the pretty blue car Lin had rented for them. He liked the way it drove, so much smoother than the van. Of course, it was far lighter. He parked the car and got out, brushing back his unruly black hair with a careless gesture and walking up the door. He was a couple minutes early, but that was all right. Mai was usually early anyway. He had come to the conclusion that the best way to offer Mai her job back was over food. Maybe he'd been a little brash with her on the phone, but it was only because Naru wasn't accustomed to asking for things. Besides, he wasn't sure what he'd do if she'd refused to have lunch with him. Now that he was actually here, it would be incredibly rude of her to brush him off. He was counting on that, mainly. He knew how indignant she could get.

He rapped on the door a couple times with his knuckles and stood back, shoving his hands into his pockets and overlooking the yard. It was a nice little place that Bou-san had. A small garden of flowers bloomed under the front window, and Naru had a sneaking suspicion that it was Bou-san's garden, not Mai's. He was about to knock again when the door burst open in a flurry of fabric. He blinked a couple times, then noticed that it was Mai, her hands full of clean laundry.

"I just need to go put these on Bou-san's bed, but I will be out in a moment. Make yourself comfortable until then," Mai called to him, turning and hurrying into the house's back rooms and out of sight. Naru walked in and leaned against the arm of the couch. He'd had plenty of time to examine the living room and kitchen the night before, and had found them to be nicely laid out and furnished well. So he waited, crossing his arms over his chest and entertaining himself as only those with great mental capacities can do.

Mai emerged a couple minutes later, dressed appropriately for the summer weather. Her skirt revealed the curvy legs of a woman, not the stick-like entities she'd used to sport. Naru tried not to stare, plastering a bored expression on his face instead. She was taller, if only by a few inches. He measured her, mentally, and decided that she was about 5'4". He had grown a couple inches himself, and so they were close to the same distance apart they'd maintained before.

"Okay, I'm ready to go," Mai said, walking over to him. A subtle scent lifted from her skin and sashayed to his nostrils, causing him to almost abandon his stoic façade. Good God, she smelled… wonderful. His shoulders stiffened. Mai glanced over at him, raising her eyebrows inquisitively. Her eyes were beautiful, a sweet honey-brown that made him want to melt. Or eat chocolate. "Are we going to go, Naru?" she asked, impatient even though her tone was polite. He realized that she had her house keys in her hands and was waiting for him.

"Yes," he replied immediately, pushing away from the sofa. He reached the door before she did; his strides were longer. Naru held the door open for her and watched the surprise light up her eyes. Had he really been so ungentlemanly before? The thought made him want to frown. He knew that he became very wrapped-up in his cases, but still… Ah well. There was no use dwelling on it now. What was done was done. The only thing he could do now was correct it.

Naru waited while Mai locked up the house, his mind racing with the memory of pre-plotted designs. He had to get Mai back with SPR. Her growing abilities, whatever they might actually be, had begun to lend themselves to the cases before he returned to England. Besides, she made delicious tea. _Tea tea tea tea tea tea tea. _And he wouldn't mind it if she… occasionally, of course… smelled like she did now. He drew a deep breath, trying to catch the scent again, and only managed the slightest tease of fragrance. Whatever it was, he wanted all his rooms to smell like that.

He walked with her in silence to the car and opened the door for her, closing it once she was comfortably seated. Naru tried to ignore the little pang of shame that smacked him on the back of the head whenever Mai showed astonishment at an action that should be considered merely proper. Luella had taught him how to be courteous, after all. Or tried to.

Naru started the car and pulled smoothly out of his parking spot, sliding easily into the street. He enjoyed driving. Small wonder; he synched well with technological marvels, which the automobile (though a far older innovation then the equipment he used) certainly was. They sat in silence for a few minutes. Naru had not prepared conversation material for the car ride, and was a little nervous about broaching anything. He didn't want to turn Mai's temper on before he had even offered her the job. She might say no, even if it was just to spite him.

"Where are we going for lunch?" Mai asked, rubbing the fabric edge of her skirt between her thumb and forefinger. Her hands were small, but he'd registered that observation before. Especially when he'd had to grab her hand in an attempt to save her from one nasty fall or another. It had happened a few times, after all. Naru sighed. He had missed those days, when he'd been… what? Worried like crazy over the safety of his employee? It had certainly been exciting… exhilarating, even. The fear he experienced over Mai's well-being was more thrilling than many of the cases he had solved.

Which was ridiculous. …Right?

He realized that he hadn't answered her question, and she was looking at him with shyness in her eyes. "Is French cuisine all right with you?"

Mai's eyebrows shot up. She continued fidgeting with the hem of her skirt and pressed her lips tightly together. "Um, is it expensive?" she asked. Naru glanced askance at her with a frown. She was anxious about being able to pay for the meal, then. He shrugged.

"It's all right," he replied, being as vague as possible. He swore he could almost hear her squeak in alarm.

"What does 'all right' mean?"

"It's not too bad. Why are you asking, anyway?"

Mai slumped against her seat and glared at him. "_Some_ of us don't have the means to pay for expensive food, you know." She was getting heated, he noticed. Her gaze was unflinching, and some of the fabric from her skirt became balled up into the small hand he'd admired only minutes ago. But there was a sparkling air about her, a warning vibe of storms ahead. It was invigorating.

"That is something you can worry about when you're the one taking someone to lunch," Naru answered plainly.

"What is that supposed to mean? We're going to lunch right now." Mai huffed. It was adorable. Naru tried to avoid smiling, but he definitely felt the urge to.

"Yes, but I'm taking you to lunch. Therefore, it's my bill to worry about." They were almost at the restaurant. Naru took a moment to look in Mai's direction. Her eyes met his and held them with a bewildered misunderstanding that made him want to brush the stray locks of hair away from her cheeks. She didn't know what to say, he could see. After another few minutes they pulled into the parking lot of a rather nice eatery. Naru parked and was prepared to walk to Mai's door to open it, but she had already let herself out of the car.

"Naru… Naru, this place is _nice_," Mai said softly, staring at the pretty building. "I'm not really dressed for it." Her gaze slid to her normal attire and the corner of her lip tugged to one side in self-criticism.

"It doesn't matter," Naru responded, beginning to walk to the door of the restaurant. "Come on, we don't want to miss our reservation." Startled as she was, Mai followed obediently. Naru held the door open for her, then gave his name to the hostess, who promptly had them seated. Naru examined the menu briefly and selected what he wanted. Mai took far longer, even when he threw an "order whatever you want" her way. Finally, after being subjected to his (rather merciless) unfeeling stare, she settled on something that wasn't the cheapest thing on the menu. It was a small victory.

Silence engulfed them while Mai fiddled with her napkin and Naru rested against the back of the chair, his elbows barely avoiding the table. Naru took the opportunity to examine her more. Secretly, of course. Had it only been ten months? Her skin was creamier than he remembered, her face less child-like and more… He couldn't find the word. She had grown more into herself. It suited her. His eyes softened.

Mai glanced up at him and suddenly her gaze was harder, more tempestuous. She took a deep breath and told him that she'd dreamed of Gene again. This knocked Naru off the subject path he'd been about to pursue, and he leaned forward to show how attentively he was listening. He didn't want her thinking that he wasn't concerned for his brother's well-being, even after life. "I asked him why he couldn't rest, and… And he said that he didn't know." She looked pained, and Naru wanted to console her, though it would have been an inappropriate action and against his normal character. Instead, he merely frowned and looked ahead at nothing.

"I see," he said quietly, working his brain around Gene's reply. What could be keeping Gene from peace? He was sure that he'd done everything right. He sat in unvoiced thought until their food arrived. Then he realized that this was a perfect opportunity to rope Mai back into working for SPR. He took a bite of his meal and chewed slowly, waiting for the right moment to spring his offer. It came when Mai had plopped a morsel into her mouth that was a little too big and was taking pains to chew it sufficiently. He forged ahead. "As you heard, I'm bringing SPR back to Shibuya. We were even able to get the same office. Right now only Lin and I are there, but I'm going to need another investigator to help me with cases. It pays more than the job you used to have. I was hoping you'd consider it." Mai's chewing grew frantic as she tried to finish in time to respond before he went on. He didn't give her that chance. "As you know, SPR has built up a pretty good reputation. Even though we've taken a hiatus, we are still well-known and have a few offers on cases. Lin and I haven't completely finished setting up the office yet, but it should be done by the end of the week. I would need you to begin at that time." Mai finally swallowed her food and opened her mouth to retort. Naru was too quick for her. "Mai, I don't know what's wrong with Gene. He _should_ be resting. Come back to SPR and help me find out what's disturbing him." It sounded far more like a command than a request. Maybe it was the shift in his eyes that made Mai clamp her mouth shut, or the mention of Gene. Naru's words had finally reached his eyes, and it struck Mai in an unsuspecting way. She furrowed her brow and helped herself to another fork-full of her meal. Naru's eyes had not left her face. She took pains to evade meeting his gaze, and looked instead at her plate. Naru sighed. Of course it wouldn't be that easy. "Mai, will you think about it?"

What if she said no? What if Gene wasn't good enough bait? What would he do if he couldn't win her back to SPR? Suddenly he felt very uncomfortable in his seat, but fought the urge to shift about. Naru was a master at containing himself.

Mai raised her eyes to his.

-

OOC

Yep! That's it for this chapter! Tune in next week for the next one. :D


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